It's been a few months and already your child's shoes are starting to
pinch.

Rather than sigh as you plunk the practically new shoes in the trash,
Mayor Ellen O. Moyer has a better idea.

Next week in honor of Valentine's Day, she will kick off the "Heart and
Sole" shoe drive by placing a box in City Hall for people to donate their
used or new shoes to needy children in Afghanistan. She has asked
principals at Annapolis-area elementary and middle schools to do the
same.

At the end of the week, she plans to give the shoes to a non-profit group
that delivers supplies to the war-torn country.

She is also asking the children who donate their shoes to attach a
valentine or message to the shoe addressed to the recipient.

"Young people need to learn the importance of charity as well, and that
the children of Afghanistan are victims, too," she said.

The shoe drive is the first program in what Ms. Moyer hopes will be an
annual "kids giving to kids" event. She hopes the program will eventually
fall under the Annapolis Foundation, a non-profit foundation the city
began setting up two weeks ago.

Acting City Administrator Dave Stahl said the foundation will use the
tax-deductible donation money to run programs for children and seniors
such as "Heart and Sole" as well as award college scholarships.

"That's our first commitment, to give scholarships to students in
Annapolis public housing who would like to go to Anne Arundel
Community College but can't afford it," Mr. Stahl said. "The foundation
will be a way for the city to do certain projects that aren't appropriate
for coming out out of the budget.

"It will also be a way for more affluent people who want to make a
tax-deductible donation to give back to the community," he said.

Mr. Stahl said he plans to set up a foundation board of directors who
would decide how to spend the donated money.

Ms. Moyer said the idea for the "Heart and Sole" program came from a
brainstorming session with some friends and city residents on what they
can do to help others.

"(Annapolis resident) Jack Sheehan pointed out that it was winter time
in
Afghanistan and that there were children without shoes," she said. "And
as a mother and grandmother, I have a particular appreciation for how
fast youngsters outgrow their shoes."